Undiscovered talent in Rocky Point - Mr Hamarich

David Isaiah Crawford is determined to get out of the ice-making profession by promoting himself and other up-and-coming artistes in the small community of Rocky Point, Clarendon.

He believes they can match the skills of recording artistes like Cocoa Tea, Merciless and I-Octane - who all hail from the parish.

Unlike many families who carry on the fishing trade in Rocky Point, Crawford decided the sea was not his calling, partly because, at the age of five, he lost his father who drowned on a fishing trip.

Instead, Crawford has embarked on a journey to become a respected reggae/dancehall deejay.

He performs under the stage name Mr Hamarich. Songs released include Rich Mi Get Rich, Ruff Rider, Nyabinghi a di Roots and Magul Medley (a song inspired by the characters in a pack of cards), which recently caught the attention of DJ Barry from Trinidad and Tobago, who has been playing the singles on Trini Vibes Radio.

The first time Crawford performed on a show, he said Everton Blender took him under his wing.

"We rarely have the opportunity as younger artistes to get help from seasoned musicians who come from the same place," Crawford told THE WEEKEND STAR.

Despite his unique sound, he is finding it hard to get into the mainstream entertainment industry in Jamaica because "everybody is doing the same thing", especially as it relates to writing dancehall music.

"It's easier when someone more known introduces you, but we don't have that privilege as we would like to. Far as me concern, they have their reasons for not helping but also don't want anybody look down on them career. But we need to unite together, whether old or young, or just put down the business," he said.

Getting radio play is also a challenge locally, so the entertainer has resorted to recording, labelling and distributing CDs on his own at stage shows and other events.

He has also registered with the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

To occupy his time and earn money for survival, the entertainer has contributed to the Rocky Point fishing village by manufacturing ice on a small scale.

"The community can't do without ice, so what better idea than to use my two refrigerators/freezers to make ice in bags. But even that is so competitive; you will find persons filling their vehicles with ice to sell in the early morning," Crawford said.

"It would be good for persons to come to Rocky Point not only for the fishing village, but to see the talent that is here," he added.

Speaking highly of other "undiscovered talent" like FedEx, Virus and Singer Stinger, Crawford said that unlike other emerging artistes, they believe in waiting their turn until the right time to shine.